This invention relates to a gaming apparatus for playing games such as slots, poker, keno, bingo, pachinko and blackjack.
Conventional gaming units are typically provided with a cabinet and a gaming display mounted inside the cabinet. The gaming display may be mechanical, such as a series of stepper wheels, or may be electronic such as a video display that is capable of generating video images. Whether mechanical or electronic, the gaming display may be capable of generating images associated with a game, such as poker, blackjack, slots, keno, pachinko or bingo.
While the gaming display is the primary functional component, many gaming units include one or more design or stylistic elements to attract a player""s attention to the gaming unit. Such stylistic elements include the use of certain color schemes or themes, and back-lit, semi-opaque panels having artwork or gaming information printed thereon. In addition to attracting the player""s attention, many gaming units incorporate additional stylistic or functional elements to keep the player""s attention as long as possible by increasing the play value of the gaming unit. For example, a gaming unit may have a special or bonus mode that is triggered as a result of a certain outcome of the game. In addition, the speed of the game may change in order to keep a player interested.
It is important to adequately maintain the tempo of a game. When the action of a game increase speed, it is important that all facets of the game increase speed along with the action of the game. In addition, certain aspects of the game may be highlighted by adjusting the time in which events in the game occur, including the time in which credits are displayed as being awarded to the player.
The invention is directed to a gaming apparatus that may have a cabinet having a front face and a gaming display positioned adjacent the cabinet front face so that the gaming display is viewable, the gaming display being operable to generate images. A controller is operatively coupled to the gaming display. The controller may have a processor and a memory, and may be programmed to allow a person to make a wager. The controller may further be programmed to cause an image associated with a game to be generated on the gaming display, and to determine an outcome of the game represented by the image and to determine a value payout associated with the outcome of the game.
The image may represent a video game selected from the group of video games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video pachinko and video bingo, in which case the video image may include an image of at least five playing cards if the video game is video poker; the video image may include an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if the video game is video slots; the video image may include an image of a plurality of playing cards if the video game is video blackjack; the video image may include an image of a plurality of keno numbers if the video game is video keno; the video image may include an image of a pachinko board and a pachinko ball if the video game is video pachinko; and the video image may include an image of a bingo grid if the video game is video bingo.
The invention also is directed to a method of varying credit roll-up time in relation to the game. The method may cause a video game image to be generated and the video game image representing a game selected from the group of games including video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video pachinko and video bingo. The video game image may include an image of at least five playing cards if the game is video poker, may include an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if the game is video slots, may include an image of a plurality of playing cards if the game is video blackjack, may include an image of a plurality of keno numbers if the game is video keno, may include an image of a pachinko board and a pachinko ball if the video game is video pachinko and may include an image of a bingo grid if the game is video bingo. The method may determine an outcome of said game represented by the video game image, determine a value payout associated with the outcome of said game and may execute a credit roll-up in a credit roll-up time regardless of the value payout won.
The invention also is directed to a first programmed memory that may be capable of being used in connection with an electronic gaming apparatus that may allow a person to make a wager, a second memory portion that may be physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that may cause the gaming apparatus to cause a video image to be generated on a display unit where the video image may represent a game selected from the group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video pachinko and video bingo. The video image may be an image of at least five playing cards if said game is video poker, may be an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if the game is video slots, may be an image of a plurality of playing cards if the game is video blackjack, may be an image of a plurality of keno numbers if the game is video keno, may include an image of a pachinko board and a pachinko ball if the video game is video pachinko and the video image may be an image of a bingo grid if the game is video bingo. A third memory portion may be physically configured in accordance with computer program instructions that may cause the gaming apparatus to determine an outcome of said game represented by the video image and a value payout associated with the outcome of the game, and a fourth memory portion physically that may be configured in accordance with computer program instructions that may cause the gaming apparatus to execute a credit roll-up in a credit roll-up time regardless of the value payout won.
The features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of various embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below.